1. simulate, fake, sham, counterfeit. Pretend,affect,assume,feign imply an attempt to create a false appearance. To pretend is to create an imaginary characteristic or to play a part: to pretend sorrow.To affect is to make a consciously artificial show of having qualities that one thinks would look well and impress others: to affect shyness.To assume is to take on or put on a specific outward appearance, often (but not always) with intent to deceive: to assume an air of indifference.To feign implies using ingenuity in pretense, and some degree of imitation of appearance or characteristics: to feign surprise.

Main modern sense of "feign, put forward a false claim" is recorded from c.1400; the older sense of simply "to claim" is behind the string of royal pretenders (1690s) in English history. Meaning "to play, make believe" is recorded from 1865. In 17c. pretend also could mean "make a suit of marriage for," from a sense in French. Related: Pretended; pretending.

n.

"fact of pretending," 1888, from children's talk, from pretend (v.). Earlier in same sense was verbal noun pretending (1640s).